ATCO Field
{{short description|Soccer stadium near Calgary, Alberta, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = ATCO Field
| nickname = Spruce Meadows
| image = Section 203 ATCO Field.jpg
| caption = View from Section 203 in 2019
| fullname =
| location = Foothills County, Alberta, Canada
| coordinates = {{Coord|50.8837|N|114.0988|W|type:landmark|display=inline, title}}
| broke_ground =
| built =
| opened = April 2019
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = Margaret Southern
(Spruce Meadows Sports & Entertainment)
| operator = The Southern Family
| surface = Grass
| construction_cost =
| architect =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| project_manager =
| main_contractors =
| former_names =
| tenants = Cavalry FC (CPL 2019–present)
| dimensions = {{convert|74x 115|yd}}{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Marty |title=Cavalry FC to produce 'most unique' soccer experience in Canada |date=February 27, 2019 |url=https://canpl.ca/article/calvary-fc-spruce-meadows-to-produce-most-unique-soccer-experience-in-canada |publisher=Canadian Premier League |accessdate=May 19, 2019}}
| scoreboard =
| website = {{url|sprucemeadows.com}}
}}
ATCO Field is a soccer stadium at Spruce Meadows in Foothills County, Alberta, Canada. It is home to Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League. The venue (formerly known as Meadows on the Green) also serves as the home for several equestrian events{{cite web |last1=Spencer |first1=Donna |title=Calgary's Cavalry FC to share soccer pitch with four-legged athletes |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/calvary-fc-soccer-canadian-premier-league-1.5116616 |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=May 9, 2019}} spanning two to four weeks per year.{{cite web |title=Stadium Profile |url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/stadium-profile |publisher=Cavalry FC |accessdate=May 18, 2019}} ATCO, the Canadian corporation from which the stadium gets its name, is also owned by the Southern family.{{cite news |last1=Tait |first1=Carrie |title=Atco's Nancy Southern: A firm grip on the reins of the family firm |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/a-firm-grip-on-the-reins-of-the-family-firm/article12141842/ |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=May 24, 2013 |accessdate=August 15, 2019}}
History
In May 2018, it was announced that the Southern family had purchased a team in the nascent Canadian Premier League and would begin retro-fitting a portion of Spruce Meadows to construct a stadium for that purpose.{{cite web |last1=Prusina |first1=Sandra |title=Calgary welcomes Canadian Premier League team |date=May 17, 2018 |url=https://www.660citynews.com/2018/05/17/calgary-welcomes-canadian-premier-league-team/ |publisher=660citynews.com |accessdate=May 9, 2019}} By July of that year, construction of the venue commenced at the "Meadows on the Green" facility, including the construction of a 4,500-seat covered grandstand on the east side and 1,500 seats combined on the north and south ends. The stadium utilizes a modular design which can be easily expanded with demand in the future{{cite web |last1=Strasser |first1=Scott |title=Preparations continue apace at Meadows on the Green as Cavalry FC count down to CPL kickoff |url=https://aftn.ca/preparations-continue-apace-at-spruce-meadows-as-cavalry-fc-count-down-to-cpl-kickoff/ |publisher=Away from the Numbers |accessdate=May 9, 2019}} and was privately funded.{{cite web |last1=Hudes |first1=Sammy |title=Professional soccer stadium coming to Spruce Meadows next year |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/soccer-stadium-coming-to-spruce-meadows-next-year|work=Calgary Herald |accessdate=May 18, 2019}} The team predicted that the stadium experience would be, "one of the most unique professional soccer experiences in Canada—if not the world."
The first match was played at ATCO Field on April 27, 2019, while construction was still ongoing. Cavalry FC beat Calgary Foothills FC of USL League Two 1–0 in its final preseason friendly.{{cite web |last1=Laing |first1=Zach |title=Cavalry FC 'champing at the bit' for season opener |url=https://www.mordentimes.com/sports/soccer/cavalry-fc-chomping-at-the-bit-for-season-opener/wcm/003e2dd1-a91a-43d6-9182-aed65e6e2f26 |work=Morden Times |accessdate=May 20, 2019}}
On May 4, 2019, Cavalry FC officially opened the stadium in its inaugural CPL match,{{cite web |title=Cavalry FC to Host Inaugural Home Match on May 4, 2019 |url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/article/cavalry-fc-to-host-inaugural-home-match-on-may-4-2019 |publisher=Cavalry FC |accessdate=May 9, 2019}} an eventual 2–1 victory over York9 FC in snowy conditions.{{cite web |last1=Laing |first1=Zach |title=Cavalry FC open inaugural season with 2-1 victory |url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/soccer/cavalry-fc-open-inaugural-season-with-2-1-victory |publisher=Calgary Sun |accessdate=May 9, 2019}} The drainage and final seating were installed shortly before the inaugural match but the roof over the grandstand was not expected to be fully installed until the end of May 2019 because of record-cold temperatures in the area.{{cite web |last1=Laing |first1=Zach |title=Finishing touches being put on Cavalry FC pitch |url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/soccer/finishing-touches-being-put-on-cavalry-fc-pitch |publisher=Calgary Sun |accessdate=May 18, 2019}}
Following the first match at the stadium and prior to the second, Cavalry FC ownership and management scrambled to correct traffic problems which resulted in many fans missing the first half of the premier match. Congestion problems caused by ongoing road construction on Alberta Highway 22X was identified as the primary cause. As a result, team ownership began offering free shuttles from the nearby public transportation station as a solution.{{cite web |last1=Fieber |first1=Pamela |title=Cavalry soccer club scrambles to improve fans' access to Spruce Meadows |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cavalry-soccer-club-fan-accesss-spruce-meadows-1.5126832 |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=May 19, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://the11.ca/cavalry-fc-an-unlikely-sport-in-an-unlikely-place/|title=Cavalry FC: "An unlikely sport in an unlikely place"|website=the11.ca|date=May 18, 2018 |access-date=May 18, 2018}} As of 2023, these shuttles are no longer running, although a local lounge in Calgary's far south is offering a shuttle service from their establishment.{{cite web | url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/shuttle-bus | title=Shuttle Bus }}
Prior to the 2021 CPL season, the club announced that it had invested an additional 9 million CAD to add permanent floodlighting to the stadium in addition to resodding the surface. This lighting replaced temporary lighting solutions which were criticized following Cavalry's 2019 Canadian Championship match against the Montreal Impact. While the stadium was not in use because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ownership also upgraded water and sewage lines at the stadium.{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Marty |title=Cavalry FC reveals new lighting, resodded pitch at ATCO Field: 'We knew we had to make improvements' |date=June 21, 2021 |url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/article/cavalry-fc-reveals-new-lighting-resodded-pitch-at-atco-field-we-knew-we-had-to-make-improvements?fbclid=IwAR2TjLdLY9ajXqdEL4EQOTKNwgDm3ZxxS_zFrRg-pw_KznNDTSwj7B3N7iQ |publisher=Cavalry FC |access-date=24 June 2021}}
{{wide image|Pano of ATCO Field.jpg|800px|alt=Panoramic view ATCO field and its stands taken from Section 105|Panoramic view of the stadium and field}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sprucemeadows.com/ Official Website of Spruce Meadows]
- [https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/stadium-profile Stadium Profile]
{{Cavalry FC}}
{{Canadian Premier League stadiums}}
{{CPL Finals stadiums}}
Category:2018 establishments in Alberta
Category:Canadian Premier League stadiums
Category:Soccer venues in Alberta